Shrink wrap machine cost

Shrink wrap machine prices new and used: I-bar kits from $309, L-bar sealers from $859, tunnels from $2,539, and automatic machines from $30,000.

Updated October 2, 2026

Price ranges by machine type

These ranges come from public list prices for new equipment. Every price was seen on the seller’s website on October 1, 2026. They are in US dollars and exclude freight, tax, installation, and film unless noted. Many premium makers, including Shanklin, Conflex, Arpac, and Texwrap, don’t publish prices. The top of each range may be higher.

An automatic line needs both an automatic sealer and a tunnel. Budget the automatic sealer range plus a tunnel. No seller we checked published a price for a complete automatic sealer and tunnel line.

L-bar sealer prices

The L-bar examples in the dated price table above fall into four buying groups. Keep them separate when you ask for quotes.

These are sample asking prices, not a market-wide low or high. Confirm the seller’s current price and exact setup. Compare manual, semi-automatic, and automatic machines and combos before you treat two prices as equal.

What moves the price

1. Seal area. Larger bars cost more. Eastey’s EM1622, with a 22 in. front bar and 16 in. side bar, lists at $7,800. Its EM2016 Professional Series, with a 16 in. front bar and 20 in. side bar, lists at $9,200. Series and build matter as much as size.
2. Who closes the seal head. A hand-pressed head is the cheapest. Magnetic hold-down, automatic release, and a takeaway conveyor add cost. A fully automatic machine replaces the operator’s stroke with conveyors, photo eyes, and controls. That is where prices jump from about $10,000 to $30,000 and up.
3. Tunnel or no tunnel. A heat gun is the cheapest way to shrink. A hooded chamber adds a few thousand dollars. A conveyor tunnel adds $2,500 to $16,000 depending on its opening, chamber length, and power.
4. Power supply. Small machines plug into 110 to 120 V. Larger tunnels need 220 V single-phase or three-phase at 50 A or more, and some are offered in 480 V three-phase. See utilities in the buying guide. Wiring a new circuit is a site cost that won’t appear on the equipment quote.
5. Options. Photo eyes, center-seal kits, scrap winders, perforators, printers, and extra conveyors often cost extra. Heat Seal’s HDX-2000 sheet lists infeed and outfeed conveyors as options. It also lists product or film sensing as an option.

Build an installed-cost comparison

Put every quote on the same basis. For each item, mark it included, excluded, or unconfirmed. Treat unconfirmed as a cost you still have to find, not zero.

• Base machine, options, tunnel, and conveyors.
• Freight, liftgate or rigging, unloading, and positioning.
• Electrical work and any compressed air. Most small and mid-size machines are all-electric. Some automatics need about 1 to 3 CFM at 80 psi. Examples are the Conflex E-250A at 1 CFM and the TL-5600 at 3 CFM. Others, such as the Clamco 6750EL, need no air.
• Setup, trial runs with your product, and operator training.
• Starting film, spare PTFE tape, seal pads, wires or knives, and documentation.
• Warranty terms, service travel charges, and phone support.

Running costs

The recurring costs are film, wear parts, power, and labor.

• Film. For centerfold film, the bag cutoff length sets how much roll length you use. The unfolded film area is twice the folded roll width times that length. Include scrap and startup waste. A sealer far larger than your product costs more and takes more floor space. But a longer bar doesn’t add film to each bag. See the shrink film guide for how to size centerfold film.
• Wear parts. PTFE tape and silicone or felt seal pads are routine replacements. Sealer Sales calls the PTFE tape “the item most subject to wear”. Ask for part numbers and prices for tape, pads, and the seal wire or knife.
• Power. Tunnels draw far more power than sealers. A 110 V Uline tunnel is rated 2,200 W. Eastey’s industrial tunnels run on 220 V three-phase at 50 to 110 A. Ask for the running load, not only the nameplate rating.
• Labor. A hand sealer needs an operator for every pack. Semi-automatic features may cut handling. Actual labor depends on the workflow. Automatic machines need an operator to load the infeed, change film, and clear faults.

Cost per finished package

Divide the costs for a batch by the number of good finished packages, counted after shrinking and inspection. Use paid labor time for everyone involved. That includes loading, changeovers, roll changes, and cleanup. Include film used on rejects and startup trials in the batch costs.

Batch operating cost per good package = (labor + film consumed + energy + wear-part allowance) ÷ good finished packages.

This math is only an example. These are assumed costs, not machine measurements or market prices.

To cost a roll, divide the delivered roll price by the usable roll length. Then multiply by bag length in the same units. Include waste at the start and end of the roll and rejected bags. The roll guide compares ways to buy film. The film guide covers material and sizing.

This running-cost math leaves out the product, building, financing, and machine ownership. To compare total ownership, take the installed equipment cost per year plus other overhead that applies. Divide that by a realistic yearly count of good packages. Add the result to the cost per package. Don’t count maintenance twice if the batch allowance already includes it.

Automation payback

Simple payback in years = additional installed investment ÷ annual net cash savings.

For example, say an upgrade costs $20,000 more installed. Say it actually removes 500 paid hours a year at $25/hour. The labor saving is $12,500. Subtract an assumed $2,500 a year in added energy and maintenance. That leaves $10,000 net savings, a two-year simple payback. These are example numbers, not a forecast for any listed machine.

Time freed for other work is spare capacity. It is not a payroll saving by itself. If the operator is still paid for the same hours, find another benefit you can measure. Examples are less overtime or more output you can sell. Don’t count the same hours as both cut labor and moved labor. If yearly net savings are zero or below, this formula gives no payback.

Replace the assumptions with results from a timed trial that includes changeovers. Simple payback leaves out financing, discounting, tax, and resale value.

Used equipment

Used semi-automatic sealers and small combos have been listed around $2,500 to $5,000. Used automatic L-bar sealers have been listed around $7,000 to $11,000. See used shrink wrap machines for listings and an inspection checklist.